Winners and … heretics

May 26, 2012

In the 3rd or 4th century A.D. there was a great competition for ideas in Christianity. Sort of like the Super Bowl. Of course, just like in sports, there were winners and losers. Arianism was one of the losers. But there were others. I remember being taught this in our Catholic high school. And how (someone asked) do we know that the right ideas won? Well, God made sure that the winners reflected his point of view. Isn’t that the view of the victors in all struggles? If Arianism had won the struggle and become the predominant notion of Christianity, would it have made any difference in the course of events? You see the same thing happening in the Islamic world. And in all major religions. Even in Protestanism, you have heretics. Always its us… or them. Which I think is why that the only safe place for religion is in a secular state. And why America was considered by many as the savior of civilization.

One thing interesting about America, is that it preserved religious tolerance into its constitution. Various sects can co-exist with legal protections to espouse their views, no matter how heretical deemed by another. It seems to me atheists who seek to eradicate all religion and religious principles are more dangerous than “religious types” because these days, atheists are the fanatics… Yet the most atheist governments (fascist, communist) out there are also the least free, relative to the USA…

You’re right about America putting religious tolerance into its constitution. That was to avoid tyranny. Specifically the tyranny of other religions. As for atheists being the great danger to these principles, I can’t see that. Listening to radio or Fox News would suggest that the threat is from fundamentalists in any religion, but more often Christian fundamentalists.